MANY HAPPY RETURNS
Ex-pats help new team to victory
Revenge wasn’t part of the menu when the Red Deer Rebels ate the Regina Pats’ lunch on Saturday.
Two former Pats — Jeff de Wit and Dawson Barteaux — had a hand in Red Deer’s 9-4 triumph at the Brandt Centre, but neither player expressed any particular satisfaction in handing their old team one of its most-lopsided losses of the campaign.
“To this day, probably my best memories in hockey were made in Regina,” de Wit said after collecting a goal and an assist on Saturday. “I loved the city, I loved the billets I had here, and the staff all the way down to the players. (GM) John (Paddock) was awesome to me. I may not have wanted to get traded but that’s the business part of hockey.
“I’ll be forever grateful for being a Regina Pat.”
Regina acquired de Wit and Josh Mahura from Red Deer midway through the 2016-17 season in a blockbuster deal for Barteaux, Lane Zablocki and two first-round bantam picks.
De Wit helped the Pats reach the WHL final before he was traded to the Kootenay Ice early in 201718. Two months later, Kootenay flipped him to the Victoria Royals.
After being placed on waivers over the summer, de Wit’s career came full circle when he rejoined the Rebels — his fourth change of address in less than two years.
Looking back, the most disappointing move was likely being traded by the Pats before he could be part of the 2018 Memorial Cup in Regina.
“It was tough for sure,” said the veteran power forward. “I think the hardest part is I had so many close friends in that locker-room like Josh Maura, Sam Steel, Dawson Davidson. We were all so tight, but I got traded to Kootenay. Kootenay didn’t work out. I loved my time in Victoria, too. Everything happens for a reason. I wouldn’t be back in Red Deer maybe if I hadn’t bounced around.”
The Rebels originally selected de Wit in the first round (14th overall) of the 2013 bantam draft. Being a top prospect with his hometown team placed extra pressure on the Red Deer native, especially when he didn’t live up to expectations.
However, something has clicked in his final junior campaign, having already set career-highs with 22 goals and 34 points in 41 games.
It seems fitting that his breakthrough season would come in Red Deer, where he’s getting a chance to take care of some unfinished business.
“Things just weren’t working out for me the first time around in Red Deer and now they are,” de Wit said.
“Going into the year I didn’t know exactly where I was going to land being placed on waivers. For the last seven weeks of the summer I trained pretty hard and dropped a lot of weight (about 20 pounds). I’ve talked to (head coach/gm) Brent (Sutter) a lot about my role on this team. I have to be a leader and I have to play a north-south game. That has really helped me this year. I’ve really bought into that style of play.”
Barteaux, meanwhile, is also on pace for his finest WHL season with five goals and 24 points in 41 games. That’s the kind of production the Pats envisioned when they selected him in the first round (14th overall) of the 2015 bantam draft.
“I can always get better but I’m happy with how my development is coming right now,” said the smooth-skating defender, who had two assists on Saturday. “I’m just going to keep taking steps to get better. I’m hoping we’re going to make a good playoff run this year so it’s exciting.”
Barteaux has no hard feelings toward the Pats, who didn’t want to trade him but had little choice when they were loading up for the Memorial Cup.
He played just half a season in Regina, but that time made a lasting impression.
“I have a lot of respect for this organization; they’re world class,” he added.
“They started this all off for me by drafting me and kind of moulding me into what I am. I’m always thankful and I love coming back here.”
It was tough for sure. I think the hardest part is I had so many close friends in that locker-room like Josh Maura, Sam Steel, Dawson Davidson. We were all so tight.